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'Survivor: Blood vs. Water' payback is a...

By Joan Morris, Bay Area News Group

Posted:
10/10/2013 05:52:16 AM MDT

Welcome back to "Survivor" where the bitter get better and the best just keep on winning challenges. We pick up the action from last week with John's arrival at Redemption Island, where he rejoins his wife, Candice, who has been on the island since Day One.

Candice is happy to see him, but upset that their chances of winning the million seem pretty remote.

Back at Tadhana, Brad explains why he decided to ditch Dr. John. This isn't us against them, it's some against others. Caleb, who actually appears to understand that, points out that he is the only one on Tadhana who doesn't have a loved one on Galang, his loved one having pulled a whining fit and left the game. He sense danger.

REDEMPTION ISLAND

Jeff Probst calls the gang together to watch this week's elimination contest between Candice, John and Marissa, who has also been there long enough to hone a sharp hatred for the people who sent her there. Candice explains she was upset to see John because she and Marissa were hoping for someone they could hate to compete against. Someone like, oh just picking a name at random, ex-footballer Brad Culpepper. Brad looks a bit shocked and frightened.

Monica, Mrs. Ex-footballer, defends her husband amid allegations that, brace yourself, he shushed the women on Tadhana. The Redemption folks suggest that it's time for Brad, the kingpin, to be gone.

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But onto the challenge. They must work a bag of puzzle pieces through a trellis structure and then put a complicated puzzle together. John, it appears, is a puzzle savant, although Brad gives him a little hint, and he flies through the challenge. Candice also survives, sending Marissa on her tearful way. Redemption Island is now a honeymoon cottage for two.

As winner of the challenge, John can give the hint to a hidden immunity idol to anyone on either tribe. Candice tells John to give it to Mrs. Kingpin, and he does. Brad then tells Monica to burn the clue and take the target off her back, which she dutifully does.

With everyone gone, John and Candice enjoy their alone time, spearing fish and canoodling on the beach. Meanwhile, at Galang, Monica is confused about the hatred she sees directed at her husband. Leaders have followers and if that's the case, someone is buying what he's selling. He is the strongest one out there, she says.

Gervase says she needs to open her eyes. She knows the Florida Brad, she doesn't know Survivor Brad. Maybe he is as bad as they say.

The topic -- Brad -- is being discussed over at Tadhana, too. They don't understand the heat being directed at Brad. Brad meanwhile is already planning to boot Caleb, who has no partner on the other tribe, thinking that is one vote that won't upset Galang.

But while Brad is out fishing, Caleb, Vytas and Hayden talk about what a threat Brad is and how hated he is, so maybe it is time for him to go.

Uh guys, you have to lose the next immunity challenge before you start voting people off. Oh heck, what are we saying. It's almost a foregone conclusion Tadhana is doomed.

Over at Galang, there's some cheating going on. Gervase and Tyson are sneaking off and drinking coconuts, but they open them in different ways so the others don't know what they're up to. Monica and Laura B. are trying to figure out what is getting the coconuts and decide it's crabs. Yeah, right. Crabs are just nuts for coconut milk.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

And speaking of nuts, it's time for the next immunity/reward challenge. The tribe rows out to retrieve underwater crates. They then bring them back to the shore and build a puzzle staircase. Next, two players on each tribe solve a puzzle that will give them a combination they'll use to select the right key and release a victory flag. First to do so wins immunity and a choice of food or fishing gear.

Galang can't row straight but they eventually get going and end up making it close.

Tadhana gets all of its crates first, but when Brad tries to get back in the boat, it tips and two crates fall out, giving Galang the lead.

Both tribes start working on the puzzles at the same time, but Laura M. and Tyson on Galang whip through the puzzle and Galang remains undefeated. It's back to tribal council for Tadhana. Laura is sad for her daughter, Ciera, who was working on the puzzle for Tadhana. She could very well be the next voted off, but Laura says she has people relying on her and she had to do her best.

It's a very sad group that heads back to Tadhana, where Hayden notes that they lost to a one-armed man (Tyson, who hurt his shoulder last challenge) and three mothers.

Ciera tells the camera that when they come back to camp, the men go off to get water, which is code for discussing strategy against the woman. Brad hangs behind and tells Ciera and Katie that they are voting off Caleb. The other men in his alliance are suspicious of him staying to talk to the women, but Brad agrees to vote for Ciera and he's got no problem with facing Ciera's mom.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

Brad calls Ciera out at Tribal for not doing a good job on two puzzles, costing them the challenge. Probst says that Brad is taking heat for the votes so maybe it would be good to vote off someone who doesn't have a loved one on the other tribe. Yeah, it would be, Brad admits.

Caleb, being the only one who fits that description, gets into a spat with Brad, and then says he's voting for Brad, and the women could join him and the other guys can do what they want. The ball is in their court. Brad asks if Vytas is going to do that and he says no, of course not.

Ooooh, it's time to vote. It's a tie between Brad and Ciera. There will be a revote. Hayden starts to write down Ciera's name, marks it out but then struggles to write down Brad. As the votes are read, we can see he stuck with Ciera, but it doesn't matter, Brad is voted off and heads to Redemption Island after assuring everyone he's not mad at the them; he just made a bad move. Fighting to get back in should be fun, he says. Not sure about that but John and Candice are happy to see him. Very happy. Heh heh heh.

Next time: Caleb is feeling powerful and a tearful Monica asks if she can take Brad's place on Redemption Island.